Goal: Overturn politically-motivated punishment of employees who risk their lives to protect the environment and indigenous peoples.

Two environmental advocates have been fired from Brazil’s environmental protection agency (IBAMA) for their tireless efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest. Renê Luiz de Oliveira and Hugo Ferreira Loss have been fighting to shut down illegal logging and mining in protected regions of the Amazon, and more recently have seen some success in protecting indigenous populations from COVID-19. Despite these successes, Ricardo Salles, Brazil’s environment minister, terminated them after a raid they conducted was covered on television.

Jair Bolsonaro’s government has worked overtime since its formation to strip IBAMA and other agencies of the power and resources they need to protect wildlife and indigenous peoples, giving carte blanche to criminal organizations who have made billions of dollars from illicit logging and mining. This began with top-level officials and has now moved onto frontline employees, who have seen their budgets slashed and can no longer count on the support of the police or the armed forces.

Brazil’s blatantly corrupt government can’t get away with this forever. Sign the letter below to demand the reinstatement of Loss and Oliveira and send a message to Salles and Bolsonaro that the world is watching.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Mr. Salles,

Your decision to fire IBAMA agents Renê Luiz de Oliveira and Hugo Ferreira Loss is a shocking example of how low your government is willing to go in its quest to destroy the environment in the name of profit. These two agents have worked for years to protect Brazil’s vulnerable indigenous peoples and its stunning natural beauty, and have done nothing wrong apart from their jobs.

I demand that you reinstate these officials immediately. You cannot suppress the effort to save the environment from your ruinous policies with petty punishments like this one.

One Comment

This stupid president is following trumps antics only in a place that WE ALL SHOULD PROTECT. IT IS CALLED THE LUNGS OF THE PLANET!!
This a travesty of huge proportions – Brazil is destroying the Amazin rainforest – hello EVERYONE – WE NEED TO STOP THIS